So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Our guest today is truly one of the original voices in personal finance and someone whose work has shaped how millions of Americans think about debt, credit, and financial freedom.Lynnette Khalfani-Cox joins to share insights from her powerful new book, Bounce Back: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Resilience. We talk about why despite decades of financial education, so many Americans are still drowning in debt, how systemic barriers and policy decisions shape our financial outcomes, and what it really takes to recover after life's biggest setbacks from divorce and job loss to disasters and dollar deficits. Lynnette also shares her own deeply personal story of climbing out of six figures of credit card debt, the mindset shifts that made lasting freedom possible, and why you don't have to wait until you're debt free to start saving, investing and rebuilding your life.Lynnette is a New York Times bestselling author, a nationally recognized personal finance expert, and one of the most influential educators in the financial literacy movement. She's known to millions as the money coach, and she's appeared regularly on major national media outlets.

In this Friday the 13th edition of So Money, Farnoosh reflects on turning 46 and shares the financial truths that have shaped her life—from why money really buys options, to the systemic realities behind debt and financial setbacks. She also unpacks the latest housing and stock-market headlines and answers listener questions on negotiating credit cards, navigating finances with a partner, and transitioning to separate accounts in marriage.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’re talking about how to build a stronger financial partnership - from financial date nights and shared accounts to the subtle social norms that still influence modern couples. Today’s guest is Dr. Emily Garbinsky, professor at Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, whose work explores how couples make financial decisions, how pooling money affects relationship satisfaction, and what really happens when one partner earns more than the other. Learn more about Dr. Garbinsky's research here.

We spend so much of our lives chasing money—believing that once we earn enough, save enough, and invest enough, happiness and freedom will finally follow.But what if the real goal isn’t more money… it’s more time?Today’s guest is Andy Hill, AFC®, award-winning family finance coach and founder of the platform Marriage, Kids and Money, which has reached millions of families through his podcast, videos, and writing. His new book, Own Your Time, challenges a deeply held belief in personal finance: that wealth alone will solve our problems. Instead, Andy argues that true financial success is about using money intentionally to design a life filled with freedom, family connection, and choice. In this conversation, we explore Andy’s own journey—from a six-figure household income and negative net worth to a life where he and his wife now work part-time by design. We talk about the concept of “coast financial independence,” the surprising middle ground between burnout and early retirement, and the practical financial steps families can take—at any stage—to reclaim their calendars and their priorities.We’ll also get into the emotional side of money and time: how couples navigate unequal incomes, why optionality matters more than status, and how to raise kids who understand wealth not just as dollars, but as freedom and generosity.

RSVP for Farnoosh's podcasting workshop next Friday Feb 13 here.In this Super Bowl weekend edition of Ask Farnoosh, she reflects on recent financial headlines and answers listener questions about saving, investing, family planning, and homebuying. She discusses the sharp drop in Bitcoin, rising layoffs, and a weakening stock market as reminders of the importance of maintaining a strong emergency fund and staying financially cautious. In the mailbag, she explains how to save for future goals even without a defined purpose, why entrepreneurs should diversify beyond their businesses when investing, and how prospective parents can prepare financially and create more time flexibility before having a child. She closes with practical homebuying advice drawn from two decades of personal experience, emphasizing that a first home need not be permanent, that buyers should understand their motivations and finances before searching, and that thoughtful preparation leads to more confident decisions in uncertain economic times.

Sometimes making work more fair doesn’t require a sweeping policy change or a million-dollar program. Guest Siri Chilazi is a researcher at Harvard who studies gender equity, workplace behavior, and decision-making. She is also the co-author of the bestselling book Make Work Fair, written with behavioral economist Iris Bohnet.Siri’s work challenges one of the most common assumptions we make about inequality at work — that the problem is biased people who need to be “fixed.”Instead, her research shows that unfairness is baked into systems, processes, and everyday practices — how we hire, evaluate, promote, pay, and even run meetings.In this conversation, we talk about:What fairness actually means — and how it’s different from equality or equityWhy traditional DEI programs often fall shortThe small, evidence-based changes that make the biggest differenceWhat employees at any level can do to create fairer workplacesAnd why transparency and clarity are among the most powerful tools leaders have

Imagine a world where you were no longer expected to compete. That’s the world today’s guest, Ruchika T. Malhotra, invites us to imagine—and to start building.You may remember Ruchika from her last appearance on So Money, when she turned our understanding of imposter syndrome upside down, revealing it not as a personal flaw, but as a systemic one. Her new book, UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success, does something equally radical: it questions the very belief that competition is healthy—or even necessary—for success.Ruchika argues that our obsession with rivalry and scarcity thinking has made us anxious, exhausted, and disconnected. She calls for a new framework built on collaboration, abundance, radical generosity, inclusion, and solidarity—principles that might sound soft, until you realize how much they fuel innovation, well-being, and long-term wealth.*This episode first aired on October 29, 2025.*

**This episode is a replay. It first aired on November 7, 2025.**We’re doing something a little different this week. My guest is my friend and financial planner, Georgia Lee Hussey, founder and CEO of Modernist Financial, and together we’re unpacking the Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for your taxes in 2025 and beyond.We explore how this new legislation could impact everyday taxpayers, what it reveals about our national priorities, and how we can each align our financial decisions with our values. It’s a thoughtful and, yes, sometimes political conversation—because as Georgia reminds us, taxes are political.

January always asks big questions of our money—and this one felt especially heavy. In this solo episode, Farnoosh takes a step back to reflect on what the first month of the year has revealed about our finances, our fears, and our priorities. From midlife money check-ins to the idea of “financial coasting,” this conversation is about being honest about where you are—not where you think you should be—and redefining progress as stability, maintenance, and intention.Farnoosh revisits standout moments from January’s most impactful conversations, including a full-circle interview with David Bach, whose Automatic Millionaire helped shape her own financial life, and a candid discussion with Jesse Mecham of You Need a Budget on why being “good at money” has far less to do with income and far more to do with clarity and calm. She also breaks down her recent conversation with college-planning expert Patricia Roberts on the true cost of college, the ROI question families are wrestling with, and how student debt can quietly shape a lifetime.The episode closes with a reflection on the emotional weight of the month and a call for accountability, drawing on recent remarks from Andrew Ross Sorkin about systems, responsibility, and leadership.